“Snow on the Road Louveciennes”    1874

“Alfred Sisley” by Renoir

Alfred Sisley was another leader in the French Impressionist movement in the mid- to late-1800’s. While he spent most of his life in France, he did retain British citizenship. His primary focus was landscape painting, done in a particular style, unique to the Impressionist’s, called, “En plein-air,” or in the plain air, meaning done viewing the landscape outside while painting it. He work epitomizes this focus, and he is considered the most focused in this unique discipline. While his work is more somber than that of his contemporary’s, it is believed that this stems from his time in London as a child. Among his contemporary’s, of particular importance to Sisley’s development were, Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot and Gustav Courbet. These two helped mold Sisley’s work into the beautiful masterpieces they became. Through his fellowship with other emerging Impressionists, and his unique blend of multi-cultural influence, Alfred Sisley successfully left his mark in history.